While I do have a post coming soon about my biopsy results (not bad nor good) I just wanted to boast about how wonderful my weekend was and how thankful I am for friends and family! It was like every person and situation was the building block to getting me back into one piece.

It started off with Thursday night spent with Ms Gretchen who I haven’t seen in forever, and bar friend Eric. We had dinner at 8 Rivers and ended the night at our old bar IceHouse, reminding me of the good times we used to have working together. Friday night Michael and I did a lot of laughing, even though he ruined Skeeball for me (damn those natural athletes), whether he knew it or not he was the right balance of laughs (plus tickle wars) and hugs. What is it about a friends embrace that melt away any concerns? While Saturday day was rushed quickly I still got to attend my niece’s baby shower and get in some serious baby holding time with my 3 month old great niece. And after rushing back to Denver from Fort Collins, I got to see the Mrs. Colorado pageant with my boys Frank, Wesley and Gino followed by all night dancing (with some serious foot swelling). And Sunday morning breakfast with Luisa to catch up on this week’s events with an awesome Greek omelet and to top it all off… Kristen time plus an afternoon nap!

It was exactly what I needed to get my mind off such a stressful week, between the new job and biopsy results. Thank you to everyone who participated in it! I am SO thankful to have you in my life being there when I need it! Below are just a few pictures from the weekend. Should have another post here soon with the results along with more information that should be useful to everyone.

“We grow neither better nor worse as we get old, but more like ourselves” – May Lamberton Becker

So much has happened over the past month and I haven’t had a chance to share! Pardon this post but it is going to read a little scattered for trying to get everything in. As previously posted, I have been busy with school. This semester I registered really late for classes and could only take online classes. I had no idea what I was in for! Online classes are MORE time consuming then regular classes, where I am spending somewhere around 20 hours a week on school. I am really struggling but I refuse to fail. Hopefully I will succeed but only time will tell.

Back to the fun stuff! I attended my high school reunion at the end of August and reconnected with my old best friend, Catie. We had known of each other since middle school, but somehow bonded our sophomore year of high school. Whether it was our mutual love for dance or preferring to ditch class for Burger King breakfast, we became inseparable. We did everything together; we could act silly and weird and have conversations through just movements and gestures without saying a word. But as we got older, and started to branch into our own relationships with men, we had a falling out. While it was sad to lose a friend, our friendship had taken its course at that time. With the reunion approaching and not speaking for many years, I reached out prior so as not to have any tension or awkward moments. So to make a LONG story a little shorter, we have picked up where we left off and it’s like we never stopped! I have always loved her and I am glad that we were able to flourish on our own which I believe allowed us to become friends again.

The reason I bring this reconnection up is my birthday is on the horizon, in fact in 3 days. And this year I decided to do something big! I am going to LAS VEGAS! I figured, why not. It has been 3 years since my last vacation (which was technically my engagement trip) and I don’t count my trips between Denver and Chicago to be “relaxing” by any means. I don’t think I have ever done something this big for a birthday before. I invited a ton of people but it will only be 3 of us going. (Random thought: what is up with all the 3’s in this paragraph?) Luisa, Catie and me! This birthday getaway is going to be a lot of firsts. First time to Vegas, first trip with friends, first time gambling, first time….well you get the idea. Maybe I can get some more of my life list checked off?

That’s about it for my quick update as I got to get back to my school work before work tonight (oh I started bartending again to help out a friend, so yes job #1 Monday-Thursday, job #2 Friday-Sunday and school every day!) With this busy schedule, I am so ready for this much deserved break! I promise to post pictures and stories from Vegas because “what happens there” isn’t going to stay there! *smiles* 5 days and counting until I check into the Bellagio! Eeek! So excited!

If you are wondering about the quote on top, I happen to stumble upon it and couldn’t think of any way to describe my life right now. I may not have a partner in life to love, but I have something better; I have fallen in love with my own life. Ever since 2008 after going through cognitive therapy along with all that has happened over the course of these two years; whether it was moving, school, new jobs, new friends and old friends, I finally feel comfortable in my own skin. I may make mistakes and fall down but I am at last participating in my life and can pick myself up again. I am not trying to be anyone but me and I love every minute of learning who that person is.

Cheers to another birthday! I embrace thee… and look forward to the others yet to come!

How can the tiniest things bring such a smile to your face? I have two tiny things that make me smile….clean sheets and new underwear. I love the smell of fresh clean sheets, still slightly warm from the dryer. Whether they are basic fleece or 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sateen sheet, you can’t beat the feeling you get sliding into them, surrounded by comfort and calmness; the smell and feel easing any tension you once had. The thought of this experience is turning up the corners of my mouth now while talking about it.

My other “makes me smile” item is new underwear. I would first like to say, I wear underwear, repeat after me, UN-DER-WEAR, not panties. Just because I am a female doesn’t mean the articles of clothing that I wear underneath become something different than males. When I was a child, and my mother and I would visit my aunt and cousins in Illinois, we always made a point to visit one of the Jockey outlets together. I still remember the matching underwear my cousin Renae and I bought together when we were maybe about 7yrs old. White cotton underwear with blue and green fishes on them, Renae got the purple and blue! It has remained a silent tradition, whenever we fly in, we somehow end up at an underwear store digging though the big deep plastic bins, searching through hundreds of pairs, trying to find the prettiest ones and in the right size and yes, even though we are older we still sometimes end up with matching pairs of underwear!

I am sure you think it is silly to talk about underwear as this magical thing that can transform your attitude, but it really can change your day. I have underwear for many different days (and no, not the kind with the day printed on them) but more different types of days. I have a pair that makes me unbelievably confident – lacey yet comfortable with a sexy edge, that I wear for job interviews or first dates. In the middle of the road, the basic functional and comfortable underwear – usually lighter in color, maybe pastel made of soft cotton. Last, for your funky days there are the fun patterns and bright colors – lady bugs, cherries or leopard print with lime green trim. These make you giggle and smile while putting them on and keep you smiling during every bathroom break. Isn’t it worth the price for something so simple? All it takes is 10 minutes and $2 to invest and you get to walk away with the reward of a smile on your face, lasting as long as the life of the fabric.

So whether you are reconsidering your delicates drawer or are transferring your sheets from the washer to the dryer, I hope you can learn to take joy in the simple pleasures in life. They are out there, it is just a matter of taking a moment to notice and enjoy them. Keep on smiling!